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Locator systems saving lives

Sunday, October 12, 2008 1:39 PM EDT

By JENNIFER MILLER Staff Writer

When two gunmen allegedly tried to rob a hotel Aug. 7, the manager secretly called 911 and left the line open. Even though the manager could not ask for help, the county’s 911 call center was able to identify the area the call was coming from using emergency cell phone-locating technology.

When the manager dialed 911, the call taker at the 911 center could hear a commotion in the background, signaling someone may need help. The call taker identified the area the cell signal was coming from — the area of the Microtel Inn & Suites off Route 202 in West Goshen.

Next, the call taker passed the information onto a police dispatcher at the 911 center. The dispatcher alerted West Goshen officers in the area of the strange 911 call and officers headed in that direction.

What police discovered, according to investigators, were two armed men who had tied up the hotel manager in an area behind the front desk and were attempting to break into the hotel's safe. An investigating officer hollered at a person in a room behind the front desk.

"When that happened, the person jumped up and started shooting with a .32 automatic," said West Goshen Police Chief Michael Carroll.

The officer ran outside to the parking lot where the two robbers were reportedly climbing out a ground floor window. Investigators said at least one of the robbers fired shots at police officers as the two ran from the hotel. A West Goshen officer fired back, fatally injuring one of the suspected robbers. The second suspected robber, a 15-year-old boy, was apprehended.

Technology created by Berwyn-based Company TruePosition and Delaware based 911 Locator Systems enabled police to get into the area and discover the robbery in progress. The technology is part of the Enhanced 911, or E-911, system.

Essentially, under the E-911 system, 911 call takers can track the area from which a cell phone call was placed. By listening to the call, the call taker must determine whether the person is in need of help or just accidentally dialed emergency services.

The Federal Communications Commission mandated a rollout of E-911 in two phases. In 1998, network operators were required to identify the phone number of a caller. In 2001, networks were required to determine the location of the cell phone within several meters.

The call taker is trained to listen to what is said, the inflection of the caller's voice or any noises that may be in the background, according to John Haynes, deputy director of Chester County 911 operations.

"They'll listen for anything unusual and not just listen to what is said, but how it's said," Haynes said.

If there is no response or the caller is able to ask for help, the call taker and police dispatcher work to send help to the area of the call. In the case of the Microtel incident, the manager was unable to physically ask for help. But, no response from the caller indicated to the call taker someone needed assistance.

So, the call taker determined the area the call was coming from using TruePosition technology attached to a cell phone tower. When a 911 call is placed by a cell phone the call is sent to the nearest cell towers. Then the information is transmitted to pizza box-sized TruePosition equipment attached to the tower. The equipment determines the longitude and latitude coordinates of the caller.

The coordinates are then sent to the 911 call taker's computer screen, where a map of the coordinates appears. If the map should fail, the call taker can find the location by inserting the coordinates into Google Maps, Haynes said.

While an exact location cannot be determined, the system can determine a location within yards of the cell phone. In the Microtel case, the call taker was able to direct West Goshen officers to a small area of businesses off Route 202 and Matlack Street, Haynes said. Once in the area the offices were able to determine the exact location by the 911 Locator System. The 911 Locator System triggers a high intensity strobe light notifying emergency personnel of the exact location of a 911 call. This system is also programmable for all medic alerts and automatic alarms.

"The call taker has to make the best guess of where they are," he said. "What we did, because we have to be as correct as possible, we gave police an area. It was mainly the 911 Locator System that allowed police to determine it was the Microtel ... West Goshen police did a phenomenal job. The other hero is the manager from Microtel."

Carroll complimented the way the 911 center handled the Microtel call.

The call taker and dispatcher "were just absolutely imperative. If it weren't for them, we would've had somebody hurt," Carroll said. "With TruePosition and the 911 Locator System, that’s a huge technological advancement for law enforcement, it's a huge technological advancement for the citizens unable to articulate the problem, and sometimes it's a life-threatening problem."

The technology is used fairly often in Chester County. The 911 center receives between 800 and 900 calls a day. Of that, Haynes said, about 200 are from wireless phones. And of the wireless calls, he said call takers have to locate roughly 20 callers.

Recently, Haynes said, a woman who became ill while driving called 911 but she was unsure of her location. The call had to be traced.
"Using this technology, the ambulance literally drove up to her car," Haynes said.

Haynes started working at the 911 center in 1990.

"The cell phone-locating technology has been the greatest advancement in 911 since I've been involved," he said. Although new technology t he 911 Locator System is also a great advancement for emergency personnel trying to locate a call when time is of essence.

TruePosition technology works for AT&T and T-Mobile customers. Sprint and Verizon customers can be located through GPS technology that is already part of the phone. Under either system, 911 centers are able to locate an area from where the call generated. Some say GPS technology is less reliable indoors or in areas with tall buildings. At the same time, the GPS tracking system is seen as more effective in rural areas.

The tracking system may raise privacy issues for some. But, Michael Amarosa, senior vice president of public affairs at TruePosition, said the information is only shared with public safety in emergencies, not used by TruePosition nor stored in any database

"We are very mindful of all of the privacy laws that exist … We're not locating unless it's a 911 call," Amarosa said.

He added that prior, written consent is necessary to check a location, except for 911 calls and auto crash situations.

The technology "puts us in a position to do things necessary to save lives … You're taking this ability and putting it in the hands of people who can make a difference," Amarosa said.

Amarosa and Haynes expect the abilities of E-911 to change with time. In the near future, victims may be able to send text messages or photos straight from their cell phones to a 911 center. Future technology may also allow 911 call takers to assist a 911 center from home, should a snow or rainstorm prevent the call taker from getting to work.

To contact staff writer Jennifer Miller, send an e-mail to jmiller@dailylocal.com.